Bronze candelabra

Bronze candelabra

'Pernice II' candelabra. Candelabra made in three distinct pieces to regulate length. The base consists of three fan-shaped palmettes resting on bovine hooves with arcuate leaves in the upper part. The rod has a rectangular section with a second smaller sliding rod inserted within it to hold the calyciform support for the lamp. This rod was fixed at the desired height by means of a clamp placed by a small herm of Dionysius with nebris (fawn skin) and belt, from which hangs a small chain. The candelabra, which was often used in exedra and triclinia, represented an important element in Roman household furnishings. The references to the Dionysian world, as in our example, are obviously not random but directly evoke the world of magnificent banquets in which wine played a fundamental role.